Display-sheet-supporting structure



E. R. CAMPBELL DISPLAY SHEET SUPPORTING STRUCTURE Jlfly 25, 1933.

Filed April 11, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet l July 25, 1933. E. R. CAMPBELLDISPLAY SHEET SUPPORTING STRUCTURE Filed April 11, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Patented July 25, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EUGENE R. CAMPBELL,OF LA GRAN GE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO RAND MCNALLY 8a COM- IPANY, OFCHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS DISPLAY-SHEET-SUPPORTINGS'I'BUUIURE Application filed April 11,

My invention relates to structures for sup porting display sheets suchas maps and charts commonly used in educational institutions; and moreparticularly to such structures comprising a rack adapted to supportthereon, preferably removably, frames on which the several displaysheets are mounted, respectively, preferably on rollers.

My object is to provide a display-sheetsupporting structure of thecharacter comprising a rack and frames for the display sheets, of suchconstruction that by relative manipulation of the sheet-supportingframes a plurality of the display sheets, as selected by the user, maybe exhibited at one time, disposed side-by-side, as for example forpurposes of comparison one with the other, and preferably the framesseparately re moved from the rack for use at other locations as desired;and other objects as will be manifest from the following description.

Referring to the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of a displaysheet-supportingstructure in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged broken view in front elevation, of the structureof Fig. 1.

Fi re 3 is an end view of the structure of Figs. 1 and 2.

Figure 4 is an enlarged section taken at the line 4 on Fig. 1 and viewedin the direction of the arrow; and

Figure 5, a front view of the structure of the preceding figures with anintermediate portion thereof broken away, showing the display sheetscarried thereby in display position and relatively adjusted to exhibitthem side-by-side.

Referring to the structure shown, it comprises a rack 6 formed of avertical serles of bars 7 forming supports and guides as hereinafterdescribed, and crosspieces 8 connectin the bars 7 together adjacenttheir ends, t e cross pieces 8 being shown as containing apertures 9adapting the rack to be releasably secured to studs projectlng from awall, or the like.

The bars 7 which may be provided of any desirable number depending onthe number of display sheets to be supported on the rack,

1932. Serial. No. 604,547.

are each preferably of the cross-sectional shape shown throughout theirlength, thereby afl'ording a flat rear portion 10 at which to secure thebar to the cross pieces 8, as by rivets l1; and forwardly projectingportions 12 and 13 vertically spaced apart with their forward edgeportlons curved rearwardly in an upward and a downward direction,respectively, as represented at: 14 and 15, the rear terminal ed cs 16and 17 of the portions 14 and 15 being forwardly spaced from the crosspieces 8 as shown.

The structure also comprises frames 18 and 19 on which the displaysheets represented at 20 and 21 are respectively, mounted, the frames 18and 19 each comprising a plate member 22 provided at its upper and loweredges with rearwardly extending flanges 23 and 24, respectively, shownas extending the full length of the frame. The upper flange 23 curvesdownwardly at its rear terminal edge as represented at 25 and the lowerflange 24 curves upwardly at its rear terminal edge as represented at26, the portions 25 and 26 being adapted to embrace the portions 14 and15, respectively, of the rack and bear slidingly against the portions 12and 13 thereof when the frame is in position on the rack as shown.

Each frame also comprises forwardly extending brackets 27 secured to theends of the plate 22 as by bolts 28, the brackets being shown as formedof a. plate portion 29 having outwardly extending flanges 30, 31, 32 and33 on its upper, rear, lower and front edges, the brac ets being securedat their rear flanges 31 to the plate 22 by the bolts 28. The flanges 33incline upwardly and forwardly and are provided with lips 34 at, their uper extremities.

The rackets 27 of the frames are pro- 'vided for supporting the springrollers represented at 36 and on which the display sheets referred toare wound. These rollers may be of any suitable construction, as forexample that commonly used in constructions of this general character,one end thereofhaving a ournaling portion 37, as for example theleft-hand end in Figs. land 2, which is journaled in the plate portion.edge of the sheet the latter unwinds from the roller into the displayposition against resiliency of the spring device on the roller. Inaccordance with common practice the I display sheets are provided alongtheir'free edges with a binding bar, or stiffening strip 38, the ends ofthe bars 38 extending beyond the lateral edges of the sheets and into aposition to engage the stop-lips 34 under the action of the springs ofthe rollers on which the display sheets are wound.

From the foregoing description it will be understood that the frames areadapted to be selectively slid along the supporting bars 7 of the rackthereby permitting of the dis playing of the selected sheetsside-by-side as shown in Fig. 5; and by sliding them off the ends of thebars at one end of the rack, they thus become detached from the rackforremoval to the desired location for exhibition.

While I have illustrated and described a particular constructionembodying my invention, I do not wish to be understood as intending tolimit it thereto as the same may be variously modified and alteredwithout departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A display-sheet-supporting structure comprising a plurality ofsubstantially horizontally disposed parallel supporting members, andrigidly connected members for supporting both ends of sheets supportedon said first-named members, said secondnamed members being relativelymovable with the sheets in either direction lengthwise of saidfirst-named members into positions in which they extend on said firstnamed members beyond the ends thereof, for the purpose set forth.

2. A display-sheet-supporting structure comprising a plurality ofsubstantially horizontally disposed parallel supporting members, andrigidly connected members for supporting both ends of sheets supportedon said first-named members; said second-named members being relativelymovable with the sheets in either direction lengthwise of saidfirst-named members into positions in which they extend on saidfirst-named members beyond the ends thereof, said first-named membersbeing adapted at ends thereof for the sliding therefrom of saidsecond-named members.

3. A di splay-sheet-supporting structure comprising a rack formed ofsubstantially horizontally disposed. parallel bars, means connectingsaid bars together, said bars having forwardly extending portionsterminating in upwardly extending flanges spaced forwardly of saidmeans, display-sheet-supporting members comprising bars resting on, andslidable along, said first-named bars and having depending portionsextending to the rear of said flanges and means carried by thesecond-named bars to support sheets to be displayed.

4. A 'display-sheet-supporting structure comprising a rack formed ofsubstantially horizontally disposed parallel bars, means connecting saidbars together, said bars having forwardly extending portions terminatingin upwardly and downwardly extending flanges spaced forwardly of saidmeans, display-sheet-supporting members comprising bars resting on, andslidable along, said firstnamed bars and having depending flanges andupwardly extending flanges extending to the rear of said first-namedupwardly and downwardly extending flanges, respectively and meanscarried by the second-named bars to support sheets to be displayed.

5. A displaysheet-supporting structure comprising a rack formed ofsubstantially horizontally disposed parallel bars substantially U-shapedin cross section presenting cross members with vertically spaced upperand lower forwardly extending portions with their forward edgesextending upwardly and downwardly, respectively, means connected withsaid cross members for connecting said bars together,display-sheet-supporting members comprising bars resting on, andslidable along, said first-named bars and having dependingflanges andupwardly extending flanges extending to the rear of the upwardly anddownwardly extending port1ons, respectively, of said' -first-named barsand means carried by the second-named bars to support sheets to bedisplayed.

6. A display-sheet-supporting structure comprising a plurality ofsubstantially horizontally disposed parallel supporting members, anddisplay-sheet-supporting members supported on said first named membersand each comprising portions supporting the ends of a sheet and aconnecting ortion, second named members being relative y movable withthe sheets thereon in either direction lengthwise of said first namedmembers from a central position thereon, for the purpose set forth.

7. A display-sheet-supporting structure comprising a plurality ofsubstantially horizontally disposed parallel supporting memcomprising,in combination: a substantially horizontally. disposed supportingmember; a display-sheet supporting member supported on the first namedmember and relatively movable with the sheets thereon in either 9direction lengthwise of and to positions beyond either end thereof; andmeans whereby said second named member is supported when extendingpartially beyond either of said ends. J 10. A display-sheet-supportingstructure comprising, in combination: a plurality of parallel barsassembled for support in horizontal position; a second bar mounted andinterconnected for support of the project ing portion of the secondnamed bar of the pair when moved to a position to project beyond an endof the first named bar of the pair; roller-supporting brackets mountedupon each of the second named bars; and display-sheet-carrying rollersmounted in said brackets.

11. A display-sheet-supporting structure comprising a plurality of pairsof substantilally horizontally disposed parallel supporting members; onemember of each pair slidable upon the other thereof; means carried byeach slidable member to support substantially the entire upper edge of asheet to be displayed; sheets supported by said means normally hangingin superposed position with the outer thereof displayed to view; wherebya slidable member with its carried sheet may be displaced upon itsassociated member to uncover a sheet normally obscured to permit side byside inspection of two sheets.

EUGENE 'R. CAMPBELL.

